Interchangeable double and single gas burner structure



June 23, 1959 E. H. MUELLER INTERCHANGEABLE DOUBLE AND SINGLE GAS BURNER STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 16. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Eevuv H. 'MUELLEE' ATTORNEYS.

June 23-, 1959 E. H. MUELLER 2,891,603

INTERCHANGEABLE DOUBLE AND SINGLE GAS BURNER STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Fey/1v H. MUE'LLEP ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent INTERCHANGEABLE DOUBLE AND SINGLE GAS BURNER STRUCTURE Ervin H. Mueller, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Application September 16, 1954, Serial No. 456,552

4 Claims. (Cl. 158-116) This invention relates to gas burners and particularly to a gas burner structure for use as a top burner of a gas range.

An object of the invention is to provide a burner structure, the major parts of which can be employed, as elected, as a dual or double burner and as a single burner. Range manufacturers are confronted with the problem of constructing ranges to meet different trade and price requirements. Some of the trade may demand that the top burners of the range all be of the double or dual type. Some of the trade may demand that the top burners be ofthe more simple single type, and this demand or requirement may be due to the desires of the trade or due to price. Still another facet of the trade may require that some of the top burners be of double or dual construction and some be of single construction.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a burner strutcure which embodies a main burner section so constructed and arranged that it can be used as a single burner,and a smaller burner structure which can be disposed in the center of the main burner, with the two burner sections having cooperating parts so that they may be easily assembled together or disassembled. Thus, a manufacturer may himself make, or obtain from others, a supply of main burners and small burners, and with these on hand, ranges may be manufactured with any combination of dual and single burners desired. The burner structure made in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a dual burner structure.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the burners shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with parts cut away.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but taken at right angles thereto showing a single burner.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial plan view showing some of the structure.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6.-6 of Fig. 5 showing a gas port.

Fig. 7 is a partial to sectional view somewhat similar to Fig. 4 showing interconnecting means for the single burnerstructure.

The main burner body illustrated at 1 is formed of an outer member having an outer wall 2 and a lower or bottom; wall 3. There is an inner wall 5 which may be secured to the bottom Wall 3 as 'at 6 by means of brazing or welding to form a gas tight joint. These walls are circumferential in form and define a gas chamber 7. An extending part 10 is attached. to or formed integrally with the body 1 and. provides a passage 11 for combustible fuel; which connects into the annular chamber 7. The member 10 has a flange 12. A venturi or mixing tube 14; is provided with a flange 15 to be secured to the flange 12, as by means of screws as shown. The mixing tube 14. may otherwise be of usual construction. It has aninlet end 17 for the reception of the outlet 18 of a suitable valve, an air inlet passage 19, controlled by a 2,891,608 a ent un 23, 9 .9

valve or shutter 20, and a venturi portion 21:. It is well known how the outlet 18 of the valve passes gas into the mixing tube .14, and by the venturi aetion, a controlled amount of air passes in through the opening. 19 to provide the combustible mixture.

The wall 2 has an outwardly extending flange 25. This flange is arranged to receive a port ring 26;. The y f the n anged o. sea on the nge a shown in Fig. 2, and the port ring has a plurality of alternately arranged projections and recesses to provide gas ports. The projections are illustrated at 2 8 and the recesses form ports29. Thus there, is an annular array of ports. The flange 25 is provided with one or more openings 30 to receive locating lugs 31 on the port .ring.

There is a cap 35 in the form of an, annular disc or plate arranged to be positioned. on the body 1 so that the underface thereof adjaeent its outer periphery seats on the tops of the projections 28 thus to complete the formation of the ports 29. The cap hasa central aperture 36;. It has. a slot 31 cut therethrough; in aposition to overlie the gaschamber 7 There is a slot part which extends only partly through the plate to the periphery thereof as shown at 3 8. Thisslot 38 1995 not cut; through the material of the cap. Underlying the portion38; of the slotis wo 0 ig,- 6.).-. T is. p rtis of greater cr ss dimension than the slot 38, as will beseen by reference to Fig. 6 and the purpose of t-his construction will presently be seen.

This burner is arranged. to, be ignited by a suitable ignition system and to thisend theportion 1-0 is provided with an aperture 42 which is in communication with the passage 11 and this apertureis arranged to receive a tip 43 secured to a flash tube 44, which has one end. in proximity to the flame 45 supported by gas issuing from a pilot burner 46. The tip, a s shown, has a passage therethrough so that gas entering the passagell will pass through the -tip and will; be projected into the flash tube, so that it is ignited by the flame 45, and the resultant flash back ignited gas issuing from the ports 29.

In the double burner structure shown in Figs. 1- to 3 inclusive, there is another mixing tube or venturi 50, with an inlet end 52 for association with the outlet of a valve (not shown) and which has an air inlet passage, 53 con.- trolled by a suitable valve or shutter 54. The tube 50, as shown in Fig. 1, has an upwardly extending inward end and secured to the end thereof is a fitting 56. .This fitting is shown as being internally threaded and-yalso secured to the end of the tube 50 is a support in the form of a cross piece or bar 57'. The end of the tube- 50, with the cross bar and fitting are positioned within thevinner wall 5 in the passage 60-provided thereby. The wall 5, is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed bayonet type recesses (Fig. 7), one arm of which at 61 extends out through the lower edge thereof and the other arm of which 62 extends laterally therefrom. To position the tube 50 in the main burner, the opposite ends of the cross bar 57 are passed through the groove portions 61 and then by relatively turning the mixing tube 50 relative to the main burner, the ends of the bar 51: are engaged in the portions 62.

There is an inner burner piece or button generally illustrated at 65 which has a threaded hollow extension passing through the aperture 36 and threaded into the fitting 56 (Fig. 2). The head of thebutton or simmer cap comes to rest upon the cap 35 and holds the cap 35 in position with the cap sealing against the upper edge of the wall 5 and sealing against the upper edges of the projections 28 and holding the port ring in position. The inner burner piece is hollow andis in communication with the interior of; the mixing tube 50, and the headthereof is provided with a plurality of ports 66. There is preferably an annular recess 67 in the head of the cap which fills With gas and which facilitates chaining of the flame of ignition from one port 66 to another when the gas issuing from one port is ignited. The cap 35 has a plurality of apertures 68 (Fig. 3) which extend around the cap 65 and lie over the air passage 60 to thus provide secondary air for the flame supported by gas issuing from ports 66.

This completes the structure of the dual burner. In use, the two mixing tubes 14 and 5% may be associated with a double outlet valve so that gas may be supplied to one or both burners as desired. In any event, if gas be supplied to the outer burner, some of the gas passes through the fiash tube 44 causing a flash back or explosion to ignite gas issuing from the ports 29. The ports are sutficiently close together so that if gas issuing from a port immediately adjacent the flash tube is ignited, the flame chains circumferentially about the burner igniting gas issuing from all ports 29. At the same time, a small amount of gas issues from the narrow slot 37 and through the port 40. This gas is also ignited. This ignition occurs with considerable facility because of the small jet of gas issuing from port 40 which takes its ignition from the adjacent port 29 (Fig. 2). Thus, a thin film or flame burns at the slot 37 and slot portion 38 but it is hardly visible. The cross piece 57 holds the inner and outer burners together when they are removed for cleaning or the like even when the center burner 65 is removed.

When gas is supplied to the inner burner, gas issuing from a port 66 adjacent a slot 37 will become ignited. The ignition will chain circumferentially around the several ports 66 and this chaining action is facilitated by the presence of the groove 67 which fills with gas with the result that the chaining action of ignition is rather a continuous function as distinguished from the ignition jumping from port to port. The presence of the chan nel or ring of gas in the groove 67 serves to maintain ignition of the gas issuing from the ports. The groove 67 protects the flames from the updraft of secondary air passing through the apertures 68. Since the gas in the groove is ignited, the central burner provides a stable flame at low B.t.u. ratings when an extremely small supply of gas is furnished to the burner.

When it is desired to employ the main burner as a single burner, the mixing tube 50 together with its cap 65 are removed. This only involves unscrewing the piece 65, disengaging the cross bar 57 from the bayonet grooves and withdrawing the mixing tube 50. In place thereof, a cap 70 may be employed (Fig. 4). A cross bar or support 71 is disposed in the bayonet grooves as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. The cap 70 may be of solid construction with no ports and may have an internally threaded recess for receiving the threads of a screw 72.

The piece or button 70 may have the same appearance as the button 65 so that even though a range be equipped with some dual burners and some single burners, all have the same appearance. The piece 70 holds the cap 35 in the position in the same manner as the inner burner member 65.

The principal reason for the projections or lugs 303ll on the port ring is to prevent the port ring from being assembled upside down. The cap 35 would not sit well on two diametrically opposite projections. An advantageous arrangement is to have the projections sufficiently long so that if the port ring be located upside down the threads between the simmer button 65 and the fitting 56 and between the piece 70 and screw 72 would not come into engagement.

It will be appreciated how, by this invention, the number of parts required for furnishing both double and single burners are minimized. The entire structure of the outer or main burner may be used, as elected, as part of a double burner or as the whole of a single burner. The only extra parts needed to convert the double burner to a single burner are the central piece 70, the cross support 71, and the screw 72. Conversely, to convert a single burner to a double burner, it is only necessary to remove these parts and assemble the inner burner structure with the outer or main burner, and it will be noted that the necessary parts of the center burner are employed to hold the outer and main burners together so that no extra or additional securing elements are required.

I claim:

1. A gas burner comprising, an outer annular body having an outer wall and an inner wall defining an upwardly opening gas chamber, the inner wall defining a central passage, means including a cap overlying the chamber and enclosing the same and defining an annular array of ports at the outer periphery of the outer wall, said cap seating on the top of the inner wall, a conduit for passing gas into the chamber, the inner wall having a pair of L-shaped bayonet slot type fastening formations facing into said central passage, a cross support detachably and independently secured in said passage by said bayonet slot formations and extending across the passage, said cap having a central aperture, a central member having a head overlying the central part of the cap and completely closing said central aperture and having a part projecting through the aperture and screw thread cross support.

2. A gas burner comprising, an outer annular body having an outer Wall and an inner wall defining an upwardly opening gas chamber, the inner wall defining a central passage, means including a cap overlying the chamber and enclosing the same and defining an annular array of ports at the outer periphery of the outer wall, said cap seating on the top of the inner Wall, a conduit for passing gas into the chamber, said cap having a central aperture, a central member having a head overlying the central part of the cap and having a part projecting through the aperture, said central member having a gas passage therein and having an annular array of ports in its head positioned above the cap, conduit means extending into the passage defined by said inner wall, the cross dimension of said conduit means being less than that of said passage, a cross support on the conduit means extending laterally outwardly thereof, means for detachably securing the cross support to said inner Wall, and means detachably securing said part of the central member to the conduit means.

3. A double gas burner comprising, an annular outer body having an outer wall and an inner wall defining an upwardly opening gas burner, a cap seated upon the annular inner wall enclosing said gas chamber, means defining an annular array of ports at the periphery of the outer Wall, conduit means for conducting gas into the chamber, the inner wall defining a central passage, a central burner having a gas passage therein and an annular array of ports positioned above the cap and communicating with the gas passage, conduit means extending into the passage defined by said inner wall for conducting gas to the central burner member, ignition means for causing ignition of gas issuing from the annular array of ports of the outer burner member, a slot in the cap overlying the gas chamber for the flow of flame supporting gas therethrough, one end of the slot extending into ingiting proximity to the ports of the inner burner, said slot having a portion extending toward the outer periphery of the cap, said portion having a depth such that throughout its length it penetrates through only a part of the thickness of said cap, said slot portion having an outer end in igniting proximity to the outer burner member, a passageway in the cap communicating at one end into said gas chamber and opening at its other end through a port at the outer edge of said cap, said slot portion being interconnected with said passageway by an opening extending throughout substantially the length of said slot portion, so that said slot portion f-Q ms an elongate orifice for the passage of gas from said passageway to the surface of the cap, said port and said passageway throughout its length between said ends thereof having a width and a sectional area greater than the width and sectional area of said slot portion, whereby to facilitate ignition of the gas issuing from said port at said outer edge of the cap.

4. A gas burner comprising, an outer annular body having an outer wall and an inner wall defining an upwardly opening gas chamber, the inner wall defining a central passage, means including a cap overlying the chamber and enclosing the same and defining an annular array of ports at the outer periphery of the outer wall, said cap seating on the top of the inner wall, a conduit for passing gas into the chamber, a cross support mounted on the inner wall and located in and extending across said passage, the cap having a central aperture, and a central member having a head overlying the central part of the cap and completely closing said central aperture and having a part projecting through the aperture, said central member being substantially of solid form, and screw means detachably connecting the central member to the cross support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,385,528 Mills Sept. 25, 1945 2,386,113 Harper et a1. Oct. 2, 1945 2,537,692 Mueller Jan. 9, 1951 2,640,531 Lamar June 2, 1953 

